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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29507031">To Break Like Time</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SephyAthredon/pseuds/SephyAthredon'>SephyAthredon</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Fix-It, Future Travel, M/M, Secret characters, Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It, Whump</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 02:13:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,969</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29507031</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SephyAthredon/pseuds/SephyAthredon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Zack Fair, beloved SOLDIER First and general toucher of things that shouldn't be touched, touches something he really shouldn't have touched. So Zack winds up in the ruins of Shinra Headquarters with a cracked materia in his hand.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Zack Fair/Cloud Strife</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>65</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>FFVII Secret Spring</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>To Break Like Time</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/FFlove190/gifts">FFlove190</a>.</li>



    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Zack opened his eyes, blinking a few times to get rid of any lingering fogginess. The first thing he noticed was that he was looking up at the sky. He figured that couldn’t be right. Last time he could remember, he had been inside. </p><p>Sitting up and looking around confirmed that he wasn’t where he had initially thought. He caught sight of something in his peripheral and realized it was the ruins of the Shinra building. His gaze followed it up to where it still stood like a monolith, even if it was falling apart.</p><p>  Something had clearly gone very wrong.</p><p>  “What’s… going on?” Zack asked nobody, confusion clear in his voice. </p><p>It was then that he noticed he had something in his hand. He opened it to reveal a green and yellow materia with a marble-like pattern. It had a crack going through half of it. His last memory had been of grabbing it. He also noticed the machine that it had previously been inside sitting next to him. </p><p>It was large, entirely black and white, except for the red Shinra logo on it. The machine was large and square with a spot to place the materia and a monitor displaying the day, month, and year in red with dials for changing each. The dial now read November 18th [ ν ] - εγλ 0010. Zack read it, but ignored it for the time being.</p><p>  The most important things to him were his surroundings. Midgar lay in shambles around him, and even the machine that had previously been pristine was deeply scratched and showed signs of age.</p><p>  Slowly, Zack got to his feet, slipping the materia in his pocket. He took a look around, his mind running a mile a minute. Could it be possible that there had been an explosion caused by the materia he had grabbed and all of Midgar got caught in it… except for him?</p><p>  As he mulled it over in his head, he realized that the machine and other debris around him looked like they had been destroyed years ago. So then what really happened? Zack figured the best way to find out would be to find someone to ask. The Shinra building wasn’t the best place to look since it seemed mostly abandoned and was falling apart. He could easily get caught in the rubble if the structure collapsed any further. First, he needed to get down from the top of the pillar that the building rested on. </p><p>  After a little while of searching, he finally found the station among the rubble. The trains weren’t likely to be running anymore, so he just picked his way down the tracks. It took him a long time, but eventually he arrived at a station. From some faded signs, he could tell that it was Sector 5’s station. He barely even recognized the place. Though a building in the distance caught his eye.</p><p>  “Aerith!” He shouted in a panicked voice, lurching forward toward the ruins of her church at a full sprint. He could have lost her, the mere thought of it frightened him.</p><p>  Barely recognizable heaps of metal bordered the structure. It wasn’t anything new, after all it had been surrounded by scrap to begin with. Now it stood, still in one piece, amongst an even bigger scrap pile. Zack was surprised how unaffected it seemed when compared to what was around it. One of the towers was missing and the hole in the roof had gotten bigger, but it had been falling apart even back when he had met Aerith. </p><p>  Zack also noticed a motorcycle parked out front, though it was pretty far from the entrance. The bike looked brand new. He wondered if it was Aerith’s. He couldn’t picture her on one, but things had certainly changed. It wasn’t outside the realm of possibility to assume that she had as well..</p><p>  He held his breath as he pushed open the hardwood doors, wondering who he’d find on the other side. He expected Aerith. After all, the scrap metal around her church hadn’t stopped her from tending her flowers before. </p><p>  He did not expect to see a man dressed in black sitting in front of a hole in the ground. The hole was filled with water and Zack recognized it as the spot where Aerith’s flowers used to be. Of course, the most prominent feature this man had was blonde spiky hair that was so unique, Zack could only think of one person who it could be. That couldn’t be right, the person in front of him was older and more world weary.</p><p>  “Cloud?”</p><p>  The man jolted from where he had been sitting, but made no motion to look behind him, instead staying completely still. A few moments of silence passed between them before Zack spoke up again.</p><p>  “Cloud, what’s wrong?” He went to place a hand on Cloud’s shoulder only for him to move at the last moment. He got up and silently moved past Zack and out the door. Zack watched him leave, stunned to silence. Only once the door closed did he try to catch up to Cloud. </p><p>  Before he could get to the motorcycle parked outside, Zack grabbed his arm. He felt Cloud freeze in his tracks, muscles locked, like an animal about to run for it. For a brief moment, he noticed a ribbon tied to the upper portion of his arm, It was pink. It seemed familiar and reminded him fondly of Aerith. Before he could say anything, Cloud spoke.</p><p>  “I’ve already moved on, why do you have to come back and haunt me?”</p><p>  Zack looked up at Cloud, confusion on his face, “I don’t understand.” </p><p>Cloud refused to look back at him.</p><p>  “It’s been three years since you died. I never lived up to that promise I made. Even worse, I forgot it even existed.” </p><p>  This sentence stopped whatever Zack was going to say in its tracks. Cloud followed it up with a firm yank, freeing his arm from Zack’s grip. It took a few moments for him to recover.</p><p>  “Wait, I can explain...” Zack slipped his hand in his pocket to pull out the materia, but by the time he made the motion to show it to Cloud, he was already leaving. Zack watched him go.</p><p> Letting out a heavy sigh, he made his way back inside the church, thinking that maybe he’d find some answers there. He settled himself in front of the pool of water, like he’d seen Cloud do, and stared at his reflection. Yellow and white petals floated on the water’s surface. Aerith’s flowers used to be so beautiful. What happened to them?</p><p>  A glint of light off of metal caught his attention. He looked up, spotting the Buster Sword resting in the area behind where the podium had been, along with some of her flowers that had survived. Just the sight of that made him smile, though he found himself reaching back to touch the grip of the identical sword on his back. He’d only been in possession of it since Angeal’s death, which had only been a few months ago to his knowledge. This one, though it had been cleaned up, still had signs of wear, tear, and rust around the edges. </p><p>  Based on what Cloud had said about his death three years ago, the fact that he looked a lot older, and the ruins of Midgar around him, Zack had deduced that he had been sent to the future. He regarded the materia in his hand with curiosity.</p><p>  “So, you’re half a time materia and half something else then?” He asked, as if he’d get an answer “Guess that explains the date on the machine. That date must be today. 0010 huh? Nine years in the future...” That was almost an entire decade. Yet, not enough to reduce an entire industrial city to shambles through natural means, not even if Shinra stopped using Mako the second he got back to his time.</p><p>  Suddenly, Zack was smacked in the face with the realization that he had his year of death.  [ ν ] – εγλ 0007. He tried not to think about that too much and picked himself back up. With one look back at the sword and all the flowers there, he left the church and headed in the direction he’d seen Cloud go in.</p><p>  It was a long journey, but he eventually made it to the edges of Midgar. The whole place had been sunken into a bowl like structure, so he had to put his SOLDIER strength to use and climb out. </p><p>What he saw when he got out shocked him. </p><p>  A bustling industrial city spread out in front of him, continuing on as far as the eye could see. He had to do a double take to be sure he was seeing this right. Looking back certainly confirmed the ruins of Midgar were behind him. The city was almost attached to it, some roads leaving off at a dead end where Midgar started, though they were blocked off to prevent any further travel.</p><p>  It was a city built at the edge of Midgar. He wondered if it was called “New Midgar” or something. Even if the Shinra Building had been destroyed, that didn’t mean that Shinra didn’t exist anymore.</p><p>  “Huh, so this is where the people of Midgar went?” he thought aloud to himself as he walked further into the city, keeping an eye out for Cloud along the way.</p><p>  He’d been walking for a long time before he found himself in a clearing with some sort of monument in the center. It looked like it was under construction: either being constructed or rebuilt. Something about the shape of it, about the gold meteoric object impacting the base of the statue, resonated with him. Was this what happened to Midgar?</p><p>  He cast those thoughts away, not sure he really wanted or needed to know the answer. He didn’t want to know too much about his future, after all. Instead, he walked around a little while longer, until something caught his eye. The building seemed quaint while keeping with the industrial theme of the city. From the sign out front with various specials on it, Zack could tell this place was a bar. </p><p>  What caught his attention, though, was the decal on the window. </p><p>  “Seventh Heaven…” He read the name aloud. He remembered meeting a carpenter in sector 5 that asked him to name a bar that was in the works. This must have been what he had come up with. </p><p>  The fact that this bar was here and had the name that he suggested was what prompted Zack to go in. If nothing else, he could ask about Cloud. The bar inside was sleek and stylish with a polished black bar and tabletops. It seemed decently full for a bar in the middle of the day. </p><p>His gaze fell on the bartender, who looked like she had seen a ghost. She had stopped in the middle of handing a customer their drink. The shot glass dropped from her hand and shattered on the bartop, knocking her out of her trance-like state.</p><p>  “Oh, I am so sorry.” She reached under the bar and pulled out a cloth, getting to work on cleaning the glass up, once she was done, she refilled the customer’s order. </p><p>Zack wasn’t sure what connection this woman had to him, but she had certainly been staring at him. He took a seat at the bar.</p><p>  “Excuse me, ma’am. My name is Zack Fair, can you tell me what today’s date is,” He asked </p><p>The bartender looked up at him with wide eyes, her features going pale like they had before. It only took her a few seconds and some deep breaths to recover this time. </p><p>  “Uh… I’m Tifa, and It’s November 18th 0010.” She responded. Zack replied with a small nod, just as he had thought. It was the same date that had been on the machine. </p><p>  “Thank you. Now, do you know where I can find a man by the name of Cloud Strife?”</p><p>  The bartender stayed quiet for a few moments, as if thinking things through. </p><p>“I know you,” she finally started with, “you’re supposed to be dead. I don’t know what you want with Cloud, but…” She looked down, shaking her head lightly before looking back up at Zack. “Look, he may not even want to talk to you. It’s been so long since either of us have seen you…”</p><p>  “Three years… Cloud said so.” Zack gave a small nod, a worried look on his face, “I don’t know what I did to him… or to you. I’m… still a few years away from that, I think.”</p><p>  “So what? You’re saying you just… came here, from the past?”</p><p>  “Well...” Zack threaded his fingers through his black hair in an embarrassed manner, “It was an accident. I touched something I shouldn’t have,” He pulled the Materia from his pocket and showed it to her. “I don’t intend to stay for long, that is if I can even return to my own time, but I would like to talk to Cloud before I go.”</p><p>  Tifa regarded the materia with a curious expression and gave him a small nod, “You know… It’s silly but… as crazy and out there as the whole explanation seems, I believe you.” </p><p>  They made eye contact for a brief moment before Tifa looked away. Zack quickly pocketed the materia again. </p><p>“Cloud’s out back working on his motorcycle,” she said, ”he just got home. You’ll have to go around the building, but there should be a garage in the back. That’s probably where you’ll find him.”</p><p>  He nodded and left with a “thank you” to Tifa. As he exited the bar, a bunch of people in suits were making their way in. He recognized them as Turks. He and Tseng, the leader of the Turks, made eye contact for a moment. This Tseng definitely looked older, and he looked so different with his hair down. The Turk didn’t seem to be shaken at all, and certainly not like the bartender had been, but that was just part of the job for a Turk, hiding their emotions. </p><p>  As he started to head around the building, he faintly heard the voice of Reno.</p><p>  “Wha-? Was that who I think it was?”</p><p>  “We’ve had too much to drink already.” Came the voice of his partner, Rude. </p><p>  The chatter died down after that and Zack picked his way around the bar, spotting the garage Tifa had been talking about immediately. The door was up and Cloud could be spotted clearly working on the motorcycle that Zack had seen him drive off on earlier. </p><p>  Zack tried to approach carefully, but it seemed Cloud had seen him in his peripheral vision, because the man jumped to his feet, grabbing a small sword he had on the ground nearby and holding it between him and Zack. Cloud pushed himself into one of the corners of the garage, back against the wall like a cornered animal.</p><p>  “What do you want with me!?” he shouted, though Zack could tell there was also fear in his voice. </p><p>Zack stayed where he was, a look of sadness and empathy on his face.</p><p>  “I don’t want anything. Look, I know this sounds ridiculous, but I’m from the past. Shinra was working on some sort of time travel materia,” He pulled it out of his pocket to show Cloud “I got my hands on it and it took me here. You might think I’m some ghost or spirit coming to haunt you for some sort of wrongdoing, but that’s not it. It’s me. The Cloud I know is an Infantryman. He’s small, but smart and brave when he puts his mind to it. We only just recently became friends, but I’d do anything for him.” It hurt Zack to see the man he was so fond of clearly hurting like this.</p><p> Cloud lowered the fusion blade, a look of disbelief on his face. Involuntarily, tears start to roll down his cheeks. “It’s you,” the words are said quietly, in only one breath, as if the illusion could shatter in front of him, “it really is you.”</p><p>  Zack pocketed the materia once more and hesitantly stepped forward. Only after Cloud showed no signs of reacting, did he move even closer. Gently, he enveloped Cloud in a hug. The only sound between them for a few moments was the clatter of the blade Cloud had been holding dropping to the ground. </p><p>  “It really is me, Cloud. I’m sorry I died on you.”</p><p>  Zack could feel Cloud move his arms up and hesitantly place them around him. He could hear small sobs almost escaping Cloud’s throat. Zack buried his head in Cloud’s shoulder and pressed a gloved hand lightly to the back of his head.</p><p>  “Let it out. Don’t hold your feelings back,” he said in a whisper, “I’m here for you, at least for now.”</p><p>  Immediately, Cloud’s grip around Zack’s waist tightened and sobs tore themselves from his throat. Zack’s heart ached at the sound of it, but he knew that Cloud needed the emotional release. They stayed like that for a while, until Cloud’s sobs died down into silent cries. Even when those stopped, Cloud didn’t move from Zack’s embrace.</p><p>  “It’s not your fault, you know… You were in a weakened state and we were on the run. I… I can’t remember much since I was in a comatose state at the time… but I remember bits and pieces.” He pulled away, just enough to look up at Zack, “We almost made it to Midgar, but Shinra troopers were chasing us… you hid me away and then fought them… to protect me. It was a long fight, you almost defeated them. There were only a few left but in the end… they won.” </p><p>He avoided eye contact with Zack for the next part, “You lived long enough to pass the Buster Sword onto me and tell me I’m your living legacy.”</p><p>  Zack wasn’t quite sure how to process this information. He’d just been told how he was going to die. One thing he knew for sure was that it warmed his heart to know he’d risked his life protecting Cloud’s. He died a hero, even if it was only to one person. </p><p>Silence fell over the two of them for a few moments while Zack entertained the idea of staying with Cloud. He quickly pushed that thought away, though, since he needed to get back to his own time to have done any of the things Cloud mentioned in the first place. He didn’t want to leave so soon, but the longer he stayed the greater the risk of learning things that he shouldn’t.</p><p>  Then he got an idea.</p><p>   “Cloud?” </p><p>  ‘Hmm?” Cloud had gone back to resting against Zack, but now pulled away to look him in the eyes.</p><p>  “I’m going to go back in time and make sure that never happens, and to hopefully also prevent whatever happened to Midgar.”</p><p>  Cloud seemed surprised by that, moving out of Zack’s embrace entirely. He was silent again for a few moments, contemplating the possibility and what it would mean for his future from that point onward.Then he seemed to remember something, looking back up to Zack.</p><p>  “That’s not all, Zack. There’s something else you should know about Aerith... She’s-”</p><p>  Zack cut him off immediately, “I don’t want to know too much about the future, Cloud. That’s not going to help. All I need is for you to tell me the day, and month of my death.” He already knew the year, “I also need to know where it was.”</p><p>  Cloud fidgets nervously as he speaks, “Like I said, I can’t remember much since I was comatose at the time, but I have been to Nibelhiem and I’ve read the reports down there about what happened to us. September 30th 0007. That was the date on the report.”</p><p>  Zack nodded, trying not to piece together what his death has to do with the town of Nibelheim, or what Cloud meant by ‘down there’. Those pieces would come together with time. </p><p>  “As for where it happened…” Cloud continued, moving to his motorcycle and hopping onto it, “I can show you. Get on.”</p><p>  “It was close to Midgar, then.” Zack deduced, curiosity in his voice as he got on the bike behind Cloud, looping his arms around the other’s waist so he didn't fall off. All he got as a response was a nod from Cloud.</p><p>  “You good to go?” the blonde asked.</p><p>  “Yeah” Zack replied.</p><p>  So, the two of them took off through Edge. Zack took the opportunity to watch the town go by on either side. It really was an interesting place, he sort of wished he could learn more about it, but he didn’t want to spend too much time in the future. He didn’t belong.</p><p>  Still, this moment with Cloud was something that Zack would remember. This may not be the Cloud that he knew, but it was still him. Soon enough, they cleared the city entirely and found themselves out in the desert. Zack just held on tight, enjoying the ride, leaning close to Cloud. He didn’t seem to mind. </p><p>  Zack spotted the flowers before Cloud had made a full stop and once he got off the motorcycle, he found himself drawn to them. They were a stark contrast to the wasteland around them. He recognized them as the same as the ones Aerith had in her church. </p><p>He realized with startling clarity that they were now his grave marker. Instead he focused his gaze on the dilapidated Midgar in the distance. From what Cloud said, he’d been going there. He wondered if it was out of a need to see Aerith.</p><p> “This is where it happened,” Cloud said, interrupting Zack from his thoughts, “the sword was here for a while after I stopped using it, but recently I cleaned it up and placed it in the church. Flowers grow here now. I’m not sure why....” He looked away.</p><p>  Zack busied himself with memorizing his surroundings, everything except for the flowers. He even took into account how three years of erosion would change the structure of the rocks around him. Mostly he took in the view of the dilapidated Midgar in front of him. He knew Midgar, and he could tell that the sector closest to this spot was Sector 7, even with how it was falling apart. It helped that the silhouette of the Shinra building still stood. He could still pick out the front, back, and one side of the building.</p><p>  Once he finished, he turned to Cloud.</p><p>  “I’m sorry, Cloud… but I can’t stay. I don’t belong here,” He stepped closer, “but I promise I will fix this.”</p><p>  Cloud just nodded. “Even if you don’t… well… It was nice seeing you for a while.”</p><p>  “Yeah, you too.” Zack replied.</p><p>  He looked back at the Shinra building, the machine he needed was all the way over there. “Uh…” He looked back at Cloud, a sheepish look on his face, “do you mind giving me a ride back?”</p><p>  “Sure.”</p><p>  The ride back was long and gave Zack time to think about how he was going to go about doing what he had planned. If he made one mistake, he could ruin everything and wipe away his very existence, or even get Cloud killed. He had to be careful.</p><p>  Cloud and Zack said their last goodbyes to each other at the church, though just as Zack turned to leave, Cloud grabbed his arm and pulled him closer. He captured Zack’s lips in a gentle kiss. It only lasted a few moments before Cloud turned away, embarrassed. </p><p>  Zack was embarrassed too, but he smiled. Sure, he didn’t have any of those kinds of feelings yet for the Infantryman he had met not too long ago, at least in his time period, but the possibility of it happening in the future made him happy.</p><p>  “M’ sorry…” Cloud mumbled an apology quickly, looking away, “I don’t know what came over me… I-” </p><p>  Cloud was promptly silenced by Zack pulling him into a deep kiss, fingers digging into his yellow spikes again. He only broke it when he needed to breathe. When he did, Cloud started at him. His eyes were wide and he was speechless.</p><p>  “Well, I better get going. See you in the past, Cloud!” He waved and started on his way back to the Shinra building.</p><p>  A genuine smile appeared on Cloud’s face and he waved back, “Yeah! You too!”</p><p>  So, Zack set off on another walk, in a better mood than the one he’d been in when he followed the tracks down. He didn’t mind the length of the tracks and how long it’d take him to get back up. It gave him more time to think.</p><p>  Halfway up, Zack could have sworn there was someone walking with him. He felt a presence next to him and also an overwhelming sense of calm. When he turned his head, it was gone. He only caught a glimpse of pink, wisps of brown hair, and gentle green eyes. It seemed familiar. The next time he felt the presence, he didn’t look, just let it walk beside him.</p><p>   It left when he made it to the Shinra tower station. Zack wasn’t sure what it was, but it didn’t seem to mean any harm. He just shrugged it off and continued toward the Shinra Building. </p><p>  The sun setted, painting the wreckage in hues of orange and pink. Despite this, It wasn’t hard to find the machine again. Upon closer inspection it seemed to have been ejected out of the tower at some point, probably due to whatever cataclysmic event caused the destruction of Midgar.</p><p>  He thought hard about anything else he’d need and realized that if the Shinra building was still standing at the date he was going to, he’d need a disguise. So, he set aside some time to find a helmet of some sort. After half an hour of digging through the stable parts of the Shinra building, he found a severely dented Infantryman helmet. It was scratched and scuffed, but the red markings of a leader could be seen on it. It would hide his distinct hair and SOLDIER eyes perfectly. It also just barely hid his scar.</p><p>  “This is perfect.” Zack said to nobody. As far as he could remember, nobody ever asked someone from the Infantry to take off their helmet. He looked like an odd combination of a SOLDIER and Infantryman, something that he could use to his advantage. Once he had the helmet on, he turned his attention to the machine.</p><p>  “Hopefully it still works…” he mumbled to himself as he inserted the materia. He turned the dial to the 29th of September to give him enough time to get out there. After taking a deep breath, he activated the materia. A blinding flash of light made him close his eyes.</p><p>----</p><p>  First thing Zack noticed when he woke were white walls all around him and a glass door, with a whilte tiled floor. Beyond the glass there was what looked like a normal room in the Shinra science division. Machines of all sorts lined the walls. It reminded him of the room the SOLDIERs would train in, and he recognized it as the room he’d snuck into to get the materia. If the dial on the machine didn’t read the date he’d put in, he’d swear that he was back in his own time.</p><p>  Luckily the room was just as empty as he had left it.</p><p>  “Well, not much has changed here…” He said aloud, getting to his feet. Checking the materia he’d pulled from the machine revealed that it had two cracks running across it in an ‘X’ shaped pattern. Zack guessed it was one use away from breaking completely. He slipped it into his pocket and turned to the machine.</p><p>  He wasn’t sure if the theory that he thought out in his head would work. If it didn’t, he was a dead man. Zack started turning the dials until the monitor read off the exact date that it’d been when all of this had started. 0001. He hoped that the date wouldn’t get changed, but with the materia missing, it was unlikely to be used for a while. At least, Zack hoped. With a quick nod to himself, he started out of the room.</p><p>  Zack walked through the Shinra science department confidently, sure that nobody could tell who he was. The few staff members that were around paid little attention to him, though some did stop and stare at his outfit. </p><p>  Soon, Zack made it to the elevator. With his own keycard, he’d be able to go all the way down to the entrance. There was a SOLDIER 3rd in the elevator when it opened for him, but Zack ignored the other and went to swipe his keycard. He was surprised when a buzzing noise was the only thing he got back. His card had been denied. He should have known. If troopers had gunned him down, that meant he wasn’t loyal to Shinra anymore. If he left the company, they would have wiped his keycard data from the system. </p><p>  Unfortunately, that meant he was stuck. He’d have to ask for help. Nervously, he turned to the SOLDIER in front of him.</p><p>  “Uh… Yeah sorry… I’m from the Infantry” He tapped his helmet for emphasis, “I wanted to explore the higher floors and I found this keycard… It worked on the way up but not when going back down… for some reason…” </p><p>  He could swear he could almost see the SOLDIER raise an eyebrow under his helmet, “You are aware that you’re wearing a SOLDIER 1st uniform, right? Did you just happen to find that sword too?”</p><p>  Wait, Zack recognized that voice. It was his friend, Kunsel. He sounded more tired than usual, but it was definitely him. This guy actually knew him and could possibly see right through his disguise. </p><p>  “O-Oh this?” Zack laughed nervously and gestured to the sword on his back, “I’m a really big fan of Angeal, so I made a recreation of his sword myself. I figured I’d make the uniform too. Aren’t they great? They look just like the real thing?”</p><p>  “Uh-huh… And what about your voice? It sounds really familiar.”</p><p>  “Y-Yeah… People tell me that I sound like Angeal’s former apprentice, Zack Fair. I get it a lot, It’s one of the unique things about me…”</p><p>  It hurt to lie to Kunsel, but he couldn’t get caught now.</p><p>  “Whatever…” Kunel moved to the keypad and swiped his card, “Just don’t let me catch you up here again.” The elevator started moving.</p><p>  “Yeah… I know. I won’t do it again. I’m just… excited to join the SOLDIER program, ya’ know? I want to be a SOLDIER 1st, up there alongside the likes of Sephiroth, Zack, and Angeal…”</p><p>  A small, affectionate chuckle left Kunsel’s lips, “You’re that excited, huh? Well.. we could certainly use some more firsts right now. If you ever need any help getting into the SOLDIER program, just ask for me by name. Just… think carefully about what you’re doing when you decide you want to join.”</p><p>  “Yeah… I’ve heard. SOLDIER is like a den of monsters… don’t go inside.” Zack repeated those words he heard Angeal tell him.</p><p>  “Where did you hear that?” Kunsel asked.</p><p>  “Oh, here and there… you never know what you’ll hear being a part of the Infantry.”</p><p>  “That’s very true.”</p><p>  Silence fell between them for a while until the elevator dinged and he was let out on the ground floor.</p><p>  “Oh, one more thing. I’m going to have to take that card back.” Kunsel held out his hand for it.</p><p>  Reluctantly, Zack relinquished it to the other, unable to think of any way he could avoid it without a ruckus. He could always file for a new one.</p><p>  When the card was placed in his palm, Kunsel gave it a quick once-over, making sure nothing on it was damaged. The name was what caught his attention.</p><p>  “Hey, You have Zack Fair’s card.” He looked up to address the other, but he was gone.</p><p>----</p><p>  Zack exited the Shinra building, his head swimming with questions. It didn’t sound right that he didn’t keep in contact with Kunsel, even if he was on the run.</p><p>  He pushed those thoughts away quickly, reminding himself that the answers will come in time and the less he knows about the future, the better. At least Midgar wasn’t in shambles yet, judging by his surroundings.</p><p>  He took the train down from the Shinra building to the slums. After making a quick stop at a vendor to get some food, he started his journey to what he knew was going to become a battleground for his very life. Saying he was nervous would be an understatement. He knew all he needed to do was protect his older self, but thoughts ran through his head about how he could possibly make the situation worse.</p><p>  Once he made it to the spot, he picked a secluded place on the other side of the rock formations.Taking off the Infantry helmet, he settled down and waited. That way he won’t be seen right away. </p><p>The sun had already set by the time he made it there, so he ate the food he had purchased in silence, looking up at the stars and then across to the silhouette of Midgar in the distance. </p><p>Eventually, he curled up on the ground to try and go to sleep. At first his mind was buzzing with all sorts of thoughts, but eventually he managed to silence them, drifting off to sleep.</p><p>  Nothing was out of the ordinary when Zack woke up the next day. He got up, stretched, did a few squats, and settled down for some more waiting. The minutes stretched into hours and the only thing that broke the silence was the distant whirr of helicopter blades that caught him off guard once. He paid no mind to it though. </p><p>  It was the squeal of tires that alerted him that it was time, almost making him jump out of his skin. He could hear familiar grunts and groans of effort from the other side of the rock formation, as well as a small chuckle.</p><p>  Younger Zack poked his head out from behind the rocks, almost gasping as he caught sight of… himself. This man was definitely older and carried himself in a fashion that was unlike him. This version of Zack seemed so weary and beat down by the world, but he watched as his alternate self straightened his posture and pulled the Buster Sword from his back.</p><p>  “Boy oh boy, the price of freedom is steep.” His older self placed his forehead against the hilt, something he’d seen Angeal do. It tugged at younger Zack’s heartstrings. </p><p>  “Embrace your dreams, and whatever happens… protect your honor as SOLDIER!” older Zack roared. Breaking into a run, he brandished his sword, “come and get it!”</p><p>  Younger Zack took that as his cue and rushed out from cover, using his SOLDIER strength to outrun his other self and get in front of him, holding the Buster Sword in a defensive position and facing the attacking Infantryman. The older man seemed stunned to silence, but recognition slowly dawned on his face.</p><p>  “It’s you… I… I mean. It’s me.” </p><p>  Young Zack concentrated on using the Buster Sword to block the bullets aimed for him. He spoke, but didn’t look back at his older self, ““I’ll hold them off. I have a better chance of surviving this encounter. Take Cloud and run!”</p><p>  “But… if you die…”</p><p>  “You of all people should know that I don’t die here! Now go!”</p><p>  There was no response, but younger Zack heard his older counterpart leave to go get Cloud. He turned his focus to his attackers once more, making sure none of them broke off to go after the other two. They attempted to, once or twice, only to be met with younger Zack challenging them.</p><p>  “If you want to get to them, well, you’re going to have to go past me.” He waited until the other two were far enough away to actually start fighting. A few bullets had pierced his skin by then, but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle, yet.</p><p>  “In the words of… my counterpart. Come and get it!” </p><p>Younger Zack let loose, giving it everything he got. He was still severely outnumbered, but he was confident that he’d be able to beat them all back. After all, SOLDIER 1sts were practically one man armies.</p><p>  In the end, he had thinned the numbers down to two troops. His body was so riddled with bullets that he could barely stand. His grip on the Buster Sword was slipping, only somewhat because of the rain. </p><p>One of them managed to trip him and he landed hard in the mud. As he fell, he slipped a hand in his pocket and pulled out the green and yellow materia that he had put there. He let his hand go limp, the materia resting in his palm. He could feel the cold muzzle of a gun being pressed to his head. He grit his teeth, his expression one of defiance.</p><p>  “Please…” He whispered, knowing just how much of a long shot this was. He’d never tried to activate the materia without placing it in the machine first, “Please work…”</p><p>  A bright light emanated from the materia and he closed his eyes, the face of the Cloud he had encountered in the future flashing before his eyes.</p><p>----</p><p>  Zack opened his eyes, relieved to see nothing but white tile in front of him. His vision was blurred because of the mud and water that covered his face. He tried propping himself up only to come face to face with terrified scientists from the other side of the glass. </p><p>  “H-Help…” he said in a weak, strained voice. That’s when a pair of black shoes stepped into his field of vision. Zack propped himself up as best he could and looked up. Instantly, he recognized the man in front of him as Professor Hojo.</p><p>  “Well...well...well… what time did you come from?” He was faintly aware of the man bending down to examine him closer. It made a shiver run down his spine, despite the injuries. There were black dots at the edge of his vision, threatening to make him fall into unconsciousness, but he wanted to stay awake.</p><p>  He felt Hojo pry open the hand that the materia had been in. Zack could tell that it had crumbled to pieces.</p><p>  “Why you-!” Zack could hear Hojo’s voice trembling with rage, “So much work, rendered completely useless!” Hojo stood again, and Zack felt one of those boots connect with his side, hard. It impacted some of the bullet wounds there causing white hot pain to shoot through Zack’s veins.</p><p>  He let out an animalistic scream.</p><p>  “Sir, shouldn’t we get him some help. He’s bleeding out right in front of us.”</p><p>  Even though he was fading out of consciousness, Zack heard Hojo push the other scientist roughly, and he certainly heard the impact of his head hitting one of the glass windows.</p><p>  “Do what you want. I’m not going to help him, I don’t care if he is a SOLDIER 1st.”</p><p>  Before he blacked out, Zack was faintly aware of several scientists around him, tending to his injuries.</p><p>----</p><p>  Zack woke up later in a Hospital bed. His entire torso was bandaged along with parts of his limbs, he was just glad they didn’t have to bandage his head, that had been a close one. He wasn’t surprised to see a familiar spiky haired boy in the chair next to his bed. Now that was the Cloud he knew. Said boy had a worried look plastered on his face.</p><p>  “Zack, what happened? You just appeared in one of the science department rooms, all bloody and covered in bullet wounds.”</p><p>  The man just reached up and ruffled Cloud’s hair, gently reassuring him, “don’t worry about it. I’ve made things better for both of us… I hope.”</p><p>  “Zack, don’t just tell me not to worry about it. You… you almost didn’t make it. If you weren’t SOLDIER… I would have lost you.  I want to know what’s going on.”</p><p>  “I’m sorry Cloud, you wouldn’t believe me if I told you. You’ll understand several years from now. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I think maybe I stopped the worst of it...” Despite the lingering pain of his bullet wounds, Zack was in a good mood.</p><p>  “Zack, if this is a joke, It’s not funny.”</p><p>  “It’s not. Like I said, you’ll understand eventually. Lets just continue on like normal, okay?”</p><p>  “Fine… just don’t do that to me again,” Cloud replied, not making eye contact with Zack.</p><p>  “Hopefully I won’t.”  </p><p>  Cloud stayed and the two of them chatted for a little while until visiting hours were over. It was only once Zack settled in to sleep that he remembered the materia. He looked around for it, wondering if it had been disposed of. Finally, he spotted the glimmer of something on the table next to his bed. It was the materia, broken into six even pieces. Maybe he’d do something special with them to remind himself of the journey he had, then again, he doubted he could forget.</p><p>  As worried as he was about what Hojo was going to do to him, at least he didn’t have to worry about Shinra gaining access to time travel for a while.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This fic got done so quickly. The idea just grabbed hold of me and I went with it, it only took me two days to write. The original prompt was pretty much anything with Zack time traveling. They said I can do almost anything I like with it so I wanted to explore the idea of Zack being transported to Midgar after Meteorfall. I've got a soft spot for Cloud and Zack's relationship and writing new SOLDIER 1st Zack interacting with AC Cloud was more interesting then I thought it it would be.</p><p>  Will I continue this? Who knows. I've got some ideas on what direction I want this to go in.</p><p>  Anyway, I hope you enjoy your gift FFlove190, thank you for the inspiring prompt!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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